KARACHI: There is a strong likelihood that cellular mobile operators (CMOs) will lose close to 20 million subscriptions as a result of the ongoing drive for biometric re-verification of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, which is ending on April 12. As part of its National Action Plan to counter terrorism, the government had directed CMOs […]

ON Feb 21 at about 1pm I went for the verification of my SIM at a SIM outlet in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Karachi. I was asked to cough up Rs20 for SIM verification instead of the official stipulated rate of Rs10 per SIM. When attention was drawn to the official rate, the people at this verification centre […]

KARACHI: Protesting against police and Rangers for raiding ‘rightful businesses’ and arresting retailers selling SIM cards of cellular firms, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has warned the interior ministry that such actions may ‘hamper’ the much-publicised verification drive of cellular data in the country, it emerged on Saturday. The telecom watchdog has expressed serious reservations over […]

ISLAMABAD: “The reopening of YouTube does not fall in our jurisdiction and there is a need to evolve an institutional mechanism to identify undesired content on the Internet,” said Anusha Rehman. The Minister for State on Information Technology and Telecom at the occasion of consultative workshop on IT Policy agreed that Pakistan will have to […]

The PTA has provided a number — 668 — to get information about the SIM issued on a particular CNIC. I sent my CNIC number to 668 on three different dates in 2012 and 2013. The first message I received from 668 was on Sept 27, 2012. The message stated that a total of eight […]

LAHORE: Cellular phone companies claimed on Friday to have met the Dec 20 deadline set by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to install at their outlets in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan and Faisalabad the biometric verification system meant for stopping the illegal sale of SIMs. The PTA had asked the companies to complete […]

Islamabad: Chief Justice (CJ) Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi here on Thursday issued notices to the secretary ministry of information technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), ministry of interior through its secretary, chief executives of the all telecommunication companies and inspector general Islamabad police seeking their reply over a petition against […]

LAHORE: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has begun compiling the data of ‘unverified’ SIMs from the cellular companies and the Pakistan Mobile Database Company as first step to block over four million such connections. “We are keen to block unverified mobile phone connections and for the purpose we have asked the cell phone operators and […]

By Muhammad Yasir KARACHI: The cellular operators are mulling on different options for introducing new SIM sales mechanism to ensure transparent system throughout the retail outlets’ network at minimum expenses. Officials of the cellular phone companies said that operators have proposed different mechanisms for deployment of new system in whole sector after conducting separate financial […]